One of the foundational pieces in the missional conversation involves recognizing the missionary nature of God and his church. Mission is the grand narrative of Scripture. The entire Bible is generated by and is all about God’s mission. The word mission is from the Latin missio, meaning “sending.” It is the central biblical theme describing God’s activity throughout history to restore and heal creation. While often overlooked, Scripture is full of sending language that speaks to the missionary nature of God.
In the New Testament, sending language is most obvious in the Gospel of John. It begins with the incarnation (or you could say it actually begins with the pre-incarnate Christ) in John 3:16-17 as the Father sends the Son, and it ends with Jesus sending his disciples in John 20:21. In between these two passages Jesus sees himself as one “sent by the Father” more than twenty-five times. Here are a few of those passages. Read through the entire list and reflect on the sending nature of God and the “sentness” of the Son.
John 3:34
“For he whom God has sent utters the words of God.”
John 5:23
“He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”
John 5:24
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life.”
John 5:30
“I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
John 5:36-38
“These very words which I am doing, bear witness that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me.”
John 6:38
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.”
John 6:44
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”
John 7:28-29
“But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I came from him, and he sent me.”
John 7:33
“I shall be with you a little longer, and then I go to him who sent me.”
John 8:18
“I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me.”
John 8:26
“He who sent me is true.”
John 8:29
“And he who sent me is with me.”
John 8:42
“I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.”
John 9:4
“We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day.”
John 12:44-45
“He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me.”
John 12:49
“The Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment what to say and what to speak.”
John 13:20
“He who receives me receives him who sent me.”
John 14:24
“The word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”
John 14:26
“The Counselor will teach you everything and will cause you to remember all that I told you. This Counselor is the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name.”
John 16:7
“If I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”
John 17:3
“And they have believed that you have sent me.”
John 17:18
“As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”
John 17:25
“They know that you have sent me.”
What thoughts come to mind when you read these passages? How does it speak to the missionary nature of God? How might it influence the way you think of the church? How might it influence the way you consider your ministry?
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Brad,
This rocks! The sending motif in John’s Gospel is so powerful and cannot be missed. I think the most central verse on this motif, however, is John 20:21 where Jesus tells his disciples “As the Father has sent me, now I am sending you!”
From that passage, you can go back and read the entire Gospel to see what exactly Jesus was sent to do. We then have a much clearer understanding of what it is that we are sent to do!!!
Powerful Stuff!
Thanks for your work in the kingdom!